Heating element support unit for ovens and the like and the method and apparatus foruse in the making or assembling the same



Sept. 11, 1951 H. BUSSING 2,567,547

HEATING ELEMENT SUPPORT UNIT FOR OVENS AND THE LIKE, AND THE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USE IN THE MAKING OR ASSEMBLING THE SAME Filed Nov. 8, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l 73 fig Z INVENTOR.'

Sept. 11, 1951 BUSSING 2,567,547

HEATING ELEMENT SUPPORT UNIT FOR OVENS AND THE LIKE, AND THE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USE IN THE MAKING OR ASSEMBLING THE SAME Filed Nov. 8, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Sept. 11, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAME Harold Bussing, Albion, Mich., assignor to Union Steel Products Company, Albion, Mich.

Application November 8, 1948, Serial No. 58,858

Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in heating element support units for ovens and the like and the method and apparatus for use in the making or assembling the same.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a heating element support unit for ovens and the like in which the heating element insulators are effectively supported and one which permits a very rapid assembly thereof.

Second, to provide a structure embodying these advantages which may be economically produced and one which permits the rapid assembly of the several insulators, if desired, with the heating element arranged therethrough or one in which the insulators are strung upon a heating element.

Third, to provide an apparatus which faci1i tates the practicing of the method and the assembly of the insulators in the holders provided therefor.

Objects relating to details and economies of the invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is pointed out in the claims.

A structure embodying the several features of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a heating element support embodying my invention, a fragment only of the heating element being illustrated.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary View partially in section on a line corresponding to line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in section on a line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view partially in vertical section of an apparatus or device for use in practicing the method of my invention the heating element support unit being shown in dotted lines in its initial position and in full lines in bowed position in which the insulator holders are opened to receive the insulators.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view corresponding to that of Fig. 4 illustrating the matter of inserting or introducing the insulatorsto the holders with the throats of the holders in open or expanded position.

The embodiment of my invention illustrated is an oven heating unit and comprises a border frame, designated generally by the numeral I, and having opposed side members 22 connected by end members 3 and 4. The end member 4 carries the prong or tongue 5 adapted to be inserted into a suitably positioned socket.

The heating element 6 is of the flexible coiled wire resistance type and it is supported by a plurality of spool-like insulators 1. The number of these insulators may be varied according to the length of the heating element desired or all of them provided for may not be used. The insulators are supported by cross members, designated generally by the numeral 8, and having a plurality of longitudinally spaced downwardly offset loops 9 therein constituting insulator holders. The arms [0 of these loops 9 converge upwardly to provide restricted throats ll.

The cross members 8 are arranged in suitable laterally spaced relation and have downturned arms 12 at their ends these arms being of substantial length and being fixedly secured to the frame side members 2, preferably by welding, as indicated at 13. The reaches [4 connecting the adjacent arms of the holder members are of substantial length the outer arms of the outer holders or loops being connected to the upper ends of the arms l2 by means of the upwardly curved reaches I5. The arms of the loops merge into these reaches by upwardly curved portions I6 providing guides facilitating the insertion of the insulators through the throats of the holders. The distance between the arms of the holders at the throats thereof is less than the diameter of the barrel portions [1 of the insulators so that after the insulators are introduced into the holders and the throats thereof retracted they cannot be removed without manipulation of the cross members as hereafter described and cannot be introduced without opening or expanding the throats. This is accomplished by upwardly bowing the cross members which opens or expands the throats as is shown in Figs. 4 and 5 permitting the sidewise introduction of the insulators into the holders.

The cross members are desirably formed of springable or resilient rod or wire stock of suitable gauge so that the throats automatically contract to the position, as shown in Fig. 2, retaining an insulator that has been introduced thereinto without any clamping stress thereon so that the insulator cannot be broken by the expansion and contraction of the holders as a result of heating and cooling. In practice it is desirable to simultaneously subject all of the cross members to this bending or bowing to open or expand the throats thereof. The heating element may be threaded through the desired number of insulators and the insulators successively dropped into the open holders. In Figs. 4 and 5 I illustrate this opening or expanding of the throats and jecting substantially above the tops of thespacers.

Hook-like clamps or holddowns 22 are provided and supported to reciprocate through the holes 23 in the bed or table 18. These clamps I are engaged with the side members '2 with the unit arranged above the mandrel as shown, by dotted lines in Fig. 4. Actuation of the members 22 bends or bows the cross members around the mandrel with their bights in supported engagement with the mandrel. This results in opening "or expanding the throats as is shown in Fig.

in which position the insulators may be dropped into the holders as is indicated at the left of Fig.

5. The arms [-2 to which the outer arms of the outer loops are connected by the curved reaches as described permit the expanding of the throats of the outer loops in an effective manner. When all of the insulators have been introduced the clamps or holddowns 22 are released which allows the cross members to spring back to their initial position, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4, retracting the throats and therebyretaining the insulators as is indicated in Fig. 2. This assembling may be accomplished with a minimum of effort on the part of the operator and the assembling operation very rapidly performed and without injury'to the insulators. The insulators are held without clamping engagement which adapts-the structurefor use with insulators vary-' 'ing'consid'erably in'size and without clamping stresses thereon which might result in injury thereto as the result of heating and expansion of the supports in use.

I have illustrated and described my invention in a highly practical embodiment thereof. I have not attempted to illustrate or describe various adaptations and embodiments which I contemplate as it is believed that this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt my invention as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pat ent is:

1. A heating unit of the classdescribed comprising a frame including spaced parallel opposed side members, a plurality of springable rod-like cross members of substantially equal length disposed in spaced parallel relation and having downturned arms at their ends fixedly secured against vertical displacement relative to the 0pposed side members, said cross members having longitudinally spaced downwardly offset upwardly facing curved loops therein constituting insulator holders, the arms of the loops converging inwardly providing restricted throats for the holders, the adjacent arms of the loops being connected by substantially straight reaches of substantial length, the outer arms of the outer' loops being connected to the arms at the ends of the crossmembers by upwardly curved reaches of substantial length, the arms of the loops merging with the reaches in outward curves providing curved guides for the throats, the cross members being springable to upwardly bowed positions thereby expanding the throats of the holders to insulator receiving position, the springability of the cross members acting to restrict the throats to insulator retaining position when the bowing stresses on the cross members are released, the spaced parallel, opposed side members and the springable rod like cross members of substantially equal length disposed in parallel relation and having downturned arms fixedly secured against vertical displacement relative to the opposed side members facilitating the simultaneous upward bowing of the cross members by vertical relative movement of the opposed side members as a unit and the cross members as a unit.

2. A heating unit of the class described comprising a frame including spaced parallel opposed side members, a plurality of springable rodlike cross members disposed in spaced parallel relation and weldingly, secured to the opposed side members, said cross members having longitudinaly spaced downwardly offset upwardly facing loops therein constituting insulatorholders, the arms of the loops converging inwardly providing restricted throats for the holders, the adjacent arms of the loops being connected by reaches of substantial length, the cross members being springable to upwardly bowed positions thereby expanding the throats of the holders to insulator receiving position, the springabilityjof the cross members acting to restrict the throats to insulator retaining position when the bowing stresses on the cross members are released.

3. The method of making insulator supporting units including the steps of providing an insulator support comprising a frame having 'opposed side members, and a plurality of springable rod-lik cross members disposed in spaced parallel relation and having downturned arms at their ends fixedly secured against vertical displacement relative to the opposed side members, the cross members having longitudinally spaced downwardly oiiset upwardly facing curved loops therein constituting individual insulator holders, the adjacent arms of the loops being connected by reaches of substantial length, the outer arms of the outer loops being connected to the arms at the ends of the cross members by reaches of substantial length, the curvature of the arms of 'the loops providing restricted throats merging into the reaches with outward curves, springably bending the cross members to an upwardly bowed position while the bights of the-loops are supported and their arms-free to separate and while the opposed side members as a unit and the cross members as a unit are vertically moved relative to each other, thereby expanding the throats of the loops, inserting insulators into the loops through the expanded throats thereof, and permitting the cross members to straighten under their inherent springability thereby retracting the throats of the loops and retaining the insulators therein.

4. In a method of making electrical element support units of the class described and comprising opposed side members and a plurality of bendable cross members disposed in laterally spaced relation and having their ends fixedly secured to the opposed side members, the cross members having longitudinally spaced upwardly facing loops the loops constituting individual insulator holders, the arms of adjacent loops being connected by reaches of substantial length, the steps of simultaneously bending the several cross members into upwardly bowed form with the bights of the loops supported and with spacers between the loops limiting the lateral movement thereof and thereby expanding the throats of the several loops, and inserting insulators into the loops through the expanded throats, return of the cross members to their initial positions retracting the throats of the loops for retaining the insulators therein.

5. In a method of making electrical element support units of the class described and comprising opposed side members and a plurality of bendable cross members disposed in laterally l0 spaced relation and having their ends fixedly secured to the opposed side members, the cross members having longitudinally spaced upwardly facing loops the loops constituting individual insulator holders, the steps of simultaneously supporting and bending the several cross members into upwardly bowed form with the bights of the loops thereby expanding the throats of the loops, and inserting insulators into the loops 6 through the expanded throats, return of the cross members to initial positions retracting the throats of the loops to insulator retaining position.

HAROLD BUSSING.

, REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,307,198 Harth June 17, 1919 1,479,819 Kluner Jan. 8, 1924 1,563,453 Sutherland Dec. 1, 1925 2,107,173 Bauer Feb. 1, 1938 2,198,740 Redman Apr. 30, 1940 2,289,849 Mallard July 14, 1942 

